1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for recognizing the position of an indicating object such as a finger or an indicating bar when a finger or an indicating bar is touched at a predetermined point on a screen (whiteboard, monitor) to which a video projector screen of a computer is projected.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, along with keyboards, essential input tools of persons using a PC in graphic user interface (GUI) times, such as PC Window or Macintosh, or the like, are an apparatus for recognizing the position of an indicating object (pointing apparatus).
When using the apparatus (pointing apparatus) for recognizing the position of an indicating object meaning an apparatus manufactured to operate a cursor (pointer) on a screen, the apparatus chooses a desired point while rapidly moving on the screen to perform necessary operations. In addition, a representative example of the apparatus (pointing apparatus) for recognizing the position of an indicating object is also a mouse.
A mouse first manufactured by Douglas C. Engelbart of Xerox in 1968 has been more widely used than any other apparatuses for recognizing the position of an indicating object (pointing apparatus) for more than 40 years since being born.
In addition to the mouse, an example of the apparatus for recognizing the position of an indicating object (pointing apparatus) may include a track ball and a pen-based tablet. However, the track ball and the pen-based tablet cannot match popularity of the mouse. The mouse has been continuously used in various forms while maintaining basic features of a mouse, such as a ball mouse, an optical mouse, a wireless mouse, or the like.
However, for moving a cursor (pointer), the mouse is basically operated only on a planar surface and therefore, cannot be operated in the air. Even though the touch screen is present, using only the touch screen causes inconvenience to users as long as various types of softwares (in particular, PC) operated only by the mouse are present. Therefore, in order to solve the problem, various researches have been conducted.
Korean Utility Model No. 20-0207639 discloses an apparatus for recognizing an X-Y position of an indicating object touched on a computer screen so as to transfer positional information about an indicating object displayed on a computer screen to a computer, wherein the apparatus recognizes a position of an indicating object on a horizontal surface by using an optical image sensor (linear CCD) attached to both corners of an upper end of a planar plate for recognizing an indicated position by using a finger to be used as an indicating object designating a position of a computer position on a transparent planar plate attached to a front surface of a computer monitor or a dedicated indicating pen for more precisely indicating a position and performs triangulation calculation on a position value of an object indicated, fixed, and recognized on the planar plane by using a microprocessor (CPU) and converts a value of an X-Y position of the indicating object into the same value as resolution of a monitor used for the computer and continuously transfers the converted value to the computer so as to directly select images on the computer screen and directly input letters and images on the screen.
Korean Patent Laid-Open No. 10-2008-0027321 discloses a remote wireless pointing apparatus using a cross-shape laser beam and a light receiving element, which includes a transmitter to which a laser module light-emitted in a cross shape (+) and a receiver in which a plurality of light receiving elements are aligned in a line vertically and horizontally arranged on the surface of the monitor so as to sense the laser beam and a control means calculating pointing positions on the monitor when the cross-shaped central portion of the laser indicates the monitor.
However, according to the related arts as described above, the apparatus for recognizing the position can have a complicated structure due to the cameras installed on the upper left and upper right of the screen or can be installed only by experts having expert knowledge due to light emitting devices and light receiving devices densely installed around the screen, restrict the screen size, cannot be easily transported and stored, and can degrade in light efficiency due the surrounding spill light.